Recommendations for detailing my red 968 CS
Discussion
So im going to bite the bullet and try my hand on a detail using a DA machine. I
ve tried to get the scoop from detailing world but the site is far too large and intimidating. what i did find was a useful guide on clean your car which shows the main steps. working to this system (yes i know you can have various pre washes and foams etc as well as various other interim stages) i was hoping i could get some thoughts on products that you might have experience with:
wash: what shampoo, mitt and towel?
clay: which one? do i need to use lubricant? should i wash with shampoo after clay and before polish?
polish: how many stages? being guards red, some areas of the bodywork are glossier than others and some panels have been touched up recently.
protect: which sealants and wax?
wheels: what cleanser and tool?
glass: any different products for headlights, windows and mirrors
any thoughts and recommendations welcomed!
ve tried to get the scoop from detailing world but the site is far too large and intimidating. what i did find was a useful guide on clean your car which shows the main steps. working to this system (yes i know you can have various pre washes and foams etc as well as various other interim stages) i was hoping i could get some thoughts on products that you might have experience with:
wash: what shampoo, mitt and towel?
clay: which one? do i need to use lubricant? should i wash with shampoo after clay and before polish?
polish: how many stages? being guards red, some areas of the bodywork are glossier than others and some panels have been touched up recently.
protect: which sealants and wax?
wheels: what cleanser and tool?
glass: any different products for headlights, windows and mirrors
any thoughts and recommendations welcomed!
Two buckets both with grit guards....why? To help protect the paintwork against any additional swirl marks and scratches.
Use either a sheepskin wasmitt or a natural wool sea sponge.
Shampoo, Anything from the Meguiars range, Chemical Guys, Bilt Hamber or Zymol / Zaino.
Dry the car with a really decent drying towel.... no water blades or chamois.
If the paintwork is dull or faided then a decent polish is well worth the outlay and Autoglym SRP is still an excellent product as is Bilt hamber Auto Balm.
A sealent is useful if using SRP not much use if using Bilt Hamber. I do like Jetseal 3109 from Chemical Guys but there are a few to choose from.
Cleaning windows, simple Einszett glass cleaner.
Plastics and rubbers again go with Einszett for that natural matt finish.
Regarding waxes if you have the money then DoDo Juice produts are worth the outlay or Collinite.
Ultimately how much time do you have to get into detailing and how much cash do you want to spend on products?
Any thoughts regarding cleaning the wheels, tyres, undercarriage, interior and then dressing these areas?
Use either a sheepskin wasmitt or a natural wool sea sponge.
Shampoo, Anything from the Meguiars range, Chemical Guys, Bilt Hamber or Zymol / Zaino.
Dry the car with a really decent drying towel.... no water blades or chamois.
If the paintwork is dull or faided then a decent polish is well worth the outlay and Autoglym SRP is still an excellent product as is Bilt hamber Auto Balm.
A sealent is useful if using SRP not much use if using Bilt Hamber. I do like Jetseal 3109 from Chemical Guys but there are a few to choose from.
Cleaning windows, simple Einszett glass cleaner.
Plastics and rubbers again go with Einszett for that natural matt finish.
Regarding waxes if you have the money then DoDo Juice produts are worth the outlay or Collinite.
Ultimately how much time do you have to get into detailing and how much cash do you want to spend on products?
Any thoughts regarding cleaning the wheels, tyres, undercarriage, interior and then dressing these areas?
Edited by belleair302 on Tuesday 8th September 21:43
Bear in mind that the 968 usually has rock-hard paint so with a DA you'll need a fairly abrasive polish to have any hope of doing a decent correction. I tried Menzerna RD3.02 and Megs Ultimate Compound with a compounding pad but wasn't able to shift the swirls on mine, although for a first try I was fairly happy with the finish despite the remaining imperfections.
This is a good beginner's guide to the various stages of the process.
This thread is a good place to begin learning about the DA.
This is a good beginner's guide to the various stages of the process.
This thread is a good place to begin learning about the DA.
Just to demonstrate that DW ain't that hard to use, here are 11 case studies of front-engined Pork for your edification:
Eight Guards Red 944s/968s:
August Entry Porsche 944 217k
1995 Convertible Porsche 968
Porsche 944
Serious Performance: RedPorsche 944 Turbo
Porsche 944 Turbo
Porsche 944
my 944 turbo restore
Porsche 968 In need of some TLC (pics are dead on this thread)
Here is a Speed Yellow 968 and a black 968
And to round things off for good measure, a red 928S2
Eight Guards Red 944s/968s:
August Entry Porsche 944 217k
1995 Convertible Porsche 968
Porsche 944
Serious Performance: RedPorsche 944 Turbo
Porsche 944 Turbo
Porsche 944
my 944 turbo restore
Porsche 968 In need of some TLC (pics are dead on this thread)
Here is a Speed Yellow 968 and a black 968
And to round things off for good measure, a red 928S2
Thats really useful thanks. I have now registered on detailing world and will post my basket up for a little critical insight. Based on my trawl throught DW and a chat with Tim at CYC I have put together the following list but would welcome your thoughts:
Shampoo
chemical guys citrus and dodo btbm (the CG for the first wash pre detail as i want to remove as much of the contaminants as possible in the first step and the dodo for ongoing maintenance)
Clay
bilt hamber soft clay
Polishes
menzerna sample kit from CYC. This includes S34A and PO85RD 3.02. I would think the S34A has enough cut in to tackle the hard paint - in fact it might be too abrasive in which case I have the PO85RD 3.02 with moderate to low abrasion?
Sealant
Not decided re sealant yet but perhaps finishkare or collinite... need to do more research.
Bling
Zaino z8?
Wheels
Bilberry wheel cleaner and EZ brush
Rubber dressing
Not researched as yet
Glass
Not researched yet
Interior
Ill think about then when the outside is done!
Shampoo
chemical guys citrus and dodo btbm (the CG for the first wash pre detail as i want to remove as much of the contaminants as possible in the first step and the dodo for ongoing maintenance)
Clay
bilt hamber soft clay
Polishes
menzerna sample kit from CYC. This includes S34A and PO85RD 3.02. I would think the S34A has enough cut in to tackle the hard paint - in fact it might be too abrasive in which case I have the PO85RD 3.02 with moderate to low abrasion?
Sealant
Not decided re sealant yet but perhaps finishkare or collinite... need to do more research.
Bling
Zaino z8?
Wheels
Bilberry wheel cleaner and EZ brush
Rubber dressing
Not researched as yet
Glass
Not researched yet
Interior
Ill think about then when the outside is done!
Edited by RC (nee Ravi944) on Wednesday 9th September 09:08
plenty said:
Bear in mind that the 968 usually has rock-hard paint so with a DA you'll need a fairly abrasive polish to have any hope of doing a decent correction. I tried Menzerna RD3.02 and Megs Ultimate Compound with a compounding pad but wasn't able to shift the swirls on mine, although for a first try I was fairly happy with the finish despite the remaining imperfections.
This is a good beginner's guide to the various stages of the process.
This thread is a good place to begin learning about the DA.
Thanks yes ive printed the copy from the polished bliss site very informative!This is a good beginner's guide to the various stages of the process.
This thread is a good place to begin learning about the DA.
Wash - I've not tried BTBM but it is well spoken of. I do use CG Citrus and find it fine however a little goes a long way - too much and it will strip LSP and streak.
If you have access to a pressure washer I definitely recommend a pre-wash with snow foam or an APC/shampoo mixture to get rid of the majority of dirt before you get your mitts on the car.
Clay - not tried BH Clay but lots of people like it. It's marketed heavily with a USP of only requiring water lubrication, but I've had good results with other clays (Sonus Green and Megs) using nothing but soapy water to lubricate. Also, gallon bottles of QDs are cheap for clay lube.
Polish - I found that PO85RD 3.02 didn't have enough cut on my car, and would definitely try something like Power Gloss next time out. Although Guards Red is a single-stage paint compared to my dual-stage - not sure if that makes a difference.
LSP - FK1000p is all the rage at the m. and is the shiz on wheels. I personally really like Collinite on bodywork and find it slightly easier to apply than the FK, although you won't be disappointed going FK1000p all the way.
Bling - I'm using FK425 at the moment and like it a lot. Although Z8 apparently is the absolute dogs.
Wheels - put two coats on FK1000p on a clean set of wheels and you'll never need a wheel cleaner again - the dust just falls off and all you need is a bit of water to rinse. EZ brush is perfect to get behind the spokes however I prefer to use a small Swissvax-style brush for the face and little nooks and crannies.
Rubber dressing - I use CG New Look Trim Gel, no complaints.
Glass - no need for a special product - a QD like FK425 works perfectly.
The other products that I find regularly useful are Aerospace 303 Protectant (not to be confused with the interior cleaner of the same name) which is excellent for plastic parts, and a good APC (don't bother with APCs from detailing brands - something like Tesco Daisy works perfectly for a fraction of the price). A good vacuum and rubdown with APC is all it takes to get my 968 interior looking like new. Get a good drying towel, plush buffing towels, and a lambswool mitt and a good supply of cheap microfibres for glass, wheels, doorshuts and interior, and you're all sorted.
I'll just add that while it's fun to research all the products and get into the hobby, as long you as you stay away from the mass-market Halfords stuff, IME there really isn't that much difference between the brands and you're likely to get a satisfying finish with most of the stuff that the likes of CYC sell.
BTW just found another link that might of interest. Stop asking so many Qs - you're affecting my productivity!
If you have access to a pressure washer I definitely recommend a pre-wash with snow foam or an APC/shampoo mixture to get rid of the majority of dirt before you get your mitts on the car.
Clay - not tried BH Clay but lots of people like it. It's marketed heavily with a USP of only requiring water lubrication, but I've had good results with other clays (Sonus Green and Megs) using nothing but soapy water to lubricate. Also, gallon bottles of QDs are cheap for clay lube.
Polish - I found that PO85RD 3.02 didn't have enough cut on my car, and would definitely try something like Power Gloss next time out. Although Guards Red is a single-stage paint compared to my dual-stage - not sure if that makes a difference.
LSP - FK1000p is all the rage at the m. and is the shiz on wheels. I personally really like Collinite on bodywork and find it slightly easier to apply than the FK, although you won't be disappointed going FK1000p all the way.
Bling - I'm using FK425 at the moment and like it a lot. Although Z8 apparently is the absolute dogs.
Wheels - put two coats on FK1000p on a clean set of wheels and you'll never need a wheel cleaner again - the dust just falls off and all you need is a bit of water to rinse. EZ brush is perfect to get behind the spokes however I prefer to use a small Swissvax-style brush for the face and little nooks and crannies.
Rubber dressing - I use CG New Look Trim Gel, no complaints.
Glass - no need for a special product - a QD like FK425 works perfectly.
The other products that I find regularly useful are Aerospace 303 Protectant (not to be confused with the interior cleaner of the same name) which is excellent for plastic parts, and a good APC (don't bother with APCs from detailing brands - something like Tesco Daisy works perfectly for a fraction of the price). A good vacuum and rubdown with APC is all it takes to get my 968 interior looking like new. Get a good drying towel, plush buffing towels, and a lambswool mitt and a good supply of cheap microfibres for glass, wheels, doorshuts and interior, and you're all sorted.
I'll just add that while it's fun to research all the products and get into the hobby, as long you as you stay away from the mass-market Halfords stuff, IME there really isn't that much difference between the brands and you're likely to get a satisfying finish with most of the stuff that the likes of CYC sell.
BTW just found another link that might of interest. Stop asking so many Qs - you're affecting my productivity!
Cheers plenty. You are obviously a seasoned hand at all this? I'm watching a PC on the flea bay in the hope that it goes for a song but will more likely than not end up with a Kestrel DAS6.
You should update your profile; where are you located and send me some pics of your Sport.
Tip re hard water is appreciated.
I see some generic wool mitts on the flea bay for a fraction of the price of branded ones. Are they okay to use. Similarly, I have shed loads of MF from Screwfix. Would the difference in quality have a marked difference on the quality of finish?
What about pads etc? Do you have preference? Im looking for cutting, polishing and finishing pads. DW seems to like the Sonus pads but what about the others?
You should update your profile; where are you located and send me some pics of your Sport.
Tip re hard water is appreciated.
I see some generic wool mitts on the flea bay for a fraction of the price of branded ones. Are they okay to use. Similarly, I have shed loads of MF from Screwfix. Would the difference in quality have a marked difference on the quality of finish?
What about pads etc? Do you have preference? Im looking for cutting, polishing and finishing pads. DW seems to like the Sonus pads but what about the others?
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